MAP15: Void (Strife: Absolute Order)

MAP15: Void is the fifth map of Strife: Absolute Order. It was designed by Adam Woodmansey (Khorus) and uses a remixed version of the music track "Mobildethvan", originally made by Sarah Mancuso (esselfortium).

Essentials
You begin in almost complete darkness; press use on the wall in front of you to open it. Go outside slowly, as there is a crusader on a ledge ahead of you, joined by acolytes to the south and (on Veteran skill level or higher) four sentinels to the north. Destroy the crusader from your alcove first, then kill the acolytes and take the grenade launcher in the structure behind them.

Head north back along the stone walkway and follow it to an archway between two tall pillars, behind which is an area with several acolytes, stalkers and a reaver (plus a templar on Elite or Bloodbath) - use the archway for cover as you kill them. Go into the area and enter an alcove to the north; there is a switch here for you to flip, but approaching it opens the surrounding walls to reveal four more acolytes. With the switch flipped, climb the nearby staircase and take the med patch and red crystal key from the top. Run forward off the ledge into the poison water, then head forward to a platform holding metal armor and two medical kits.

From this platform, head due north and climb the steps to get back on the walkway. Follow it west to see a crusader guarding a pair of doors below you - destroy the robot (it is advisable to use an environmental suit if you have one, as you will be spending some time in poison water) and open the doors, then destroy the three sentinels through the vines ahead. Head around the passage (a nearby wall will reveal to lower supplies, plus a templar on Veteran or higher) and you will climb some steps to a tiled area with acolytes. Turn left here and destroy the crusader ahead, then run across the water and take the blue crystal key which the crusader was guarding. Open the door to the south, destroy the stalkers behind it and follow the path to get back outside and find some ammo. Head forward off the ledge and step on to a nearby platform with a box of bullets and a crate of missiles.

From this platform, head south and use both crystal keys in the alcoves, then step into the small passage next to them and flip the switch here. This will release an inquisitor into the central area; use the surroundings to give yourself cover, as the inquisitor may get stuck trying to jetpack over obstacles and give you an opportunity to get round it. Once the inquisitor is destroyed, the level ends automatically.

Other points of interest
In the area before the red crystal key, entering the alcove with the switch opens the surrounding walls to reveal acolytes. Once they are defeated, enter this area to find a med patch, two piles of mini-missiles and one pile of high-explosive grenades.

The tiled area before the blue crystal key holds a surgery kit on Training or Rookie skill levels.

Secrets

 * 1) In the north-east corner of the room leading to the red crystal key is a stone pillar. Open the wall just east of it (sector 151) to reveal an alcove with an energy pack.
 * 2) At the structure south of the start point which holds the grenade launcher, jump up the stepped wall and go round the stone cube to find a teleporter beacon behind it. (sector 191)

Current records
The records for the map at the Doomed Speed Demos Archive are:

Things
This level contains the following numbers of things per skill level:

Trivia
The lines of the plinth holding the energy pack in secret #1 are tagged with action special 11, which is used to open doors in Hexen-format maps. They serve no purpose as they are not linked to any sector, and cannot be walked over as the ceiling is too low to allow jumping.